Greece charter - being asked to take another's child

[Refueler]

Or the kid could just not adapt well to the boat and make every one else miserable.

Last May we took on a chap who was a friend of a very, very reliable crew member. He just couldn't take to life aboard, and claimed a phobia of public showers (I'm not making this up). The long and the short of it is he made the trip miserable for all involved. It was an extreme experience, but I'd never set out again without knowing everyone aboard.

I think many can attest to having it some time in life. I would be extremely careful before committing an unknown person to being on a boat. Its not as if you can dump 'em off with a bus ticket home !!

 

[RupertW]

I wouldn’t be fussed and we have had friends kids friends on board (in Greece and elsewhere). None aboard except the two of us had sailed before so we kept the sailing to short distances with only a couple of nights anchoring away from towns and dinghied in on the other nights to give them all more space.

Treat the boat like it was your house and relax whether the kids enjoy (or even notice) the sailing. The only tip I’d give is to tell them in advance that there is no internet access.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Or the kid could just not adapt well to the boat and make every one else miserable.

Last May we took on a chap who was a friend of a very, very reliable crew member. He just couldn't take to life aboard, and claimed a phobia of public showers (I'm not making this up). The long and the short of it is he made the trip miserable for all involved. It was an extreme experience, but I'd never set out again without knowing everyone aboard.

I've experienced problems with kids and adults - adults are a much more serious problem IMO.

Had one guy who I knew reasonably well, both at work and socially and he seemed like a sound bloke, once on the boat however, he ducked out of cooking, cleaning-up, and helped himself to the supply of snacks and drinks taking way more than his "ration" .... adults on board can presume equality of opinion with the skipper, regardless of subject, which can become a real problem. Kids on the other hand tend to be more accepting of adult authority, the worst I've had from my kids friends is either due to boredom or sea-sickness - both of which sorted themselves out as time progressed.

By all means talk to the other couple about your concerns, meet the kid and make up your own mind, but I wouldn't be overly worried, unless you don't trust your friends judgement, don't like their kid, or have some other concerns you haven't yet mentioned.

 

[RichardS]

I wouldn’t be fussed and we have had friends kids friends on board (in Greece and elsewhere). None aboard except the two of us had sailed before so we kept the sailing to short distances with only a couple of nights anchoring away from towns and dinghied in on the other nights to give them all more space.

Treat the boat like it was your house and relax whether the kids enjoy (or even notice) the sailing. The only tip I’d give is to tell them in advance that there is no internet access.

I agree with you Rupert. I wouldn't give it a second thought although, on a cat, every aspect of life is much more relaxed.

As for internet access .... if we didn't have 24/7 internet access (via 3G) I would never have got my own kids on the boat, never mind anyone else's.

Richard

 

[RupertW]

I agree with you Rupert. I wouldn't give it a second thought although, on a cat, every aspect of life is much more relaxed.

As for internet access .... if we didn't have 24/7 internet access (via 3G) I would never have got my own kids on the boat, never mind anyone else's.

Richard

I would have said Wifi access but we’ve found the parents won’t allow roaming access to their kids phones so it’s “can I hotspot Mum” all day until they find something else to do - hence dinghying them ashore to find cafes.

 

[RichardS]

I would have said Wifi access but we’ve found the parents won’t allow roaming access to their kids phones so it’s “can I hotspot Mum” all day until they find something else to do - hence dinghying them ashore to find cafes.

Indeed, roaming access is a non-starter. It's up to you, as Skipper, to set up an on-boat wifi network connected to the internet by 3G through your onboard device .... mifi or similar. Not expensive if you buy the right PAYG i.e. non contract, sim. With two kids, 1GB per day in the minimum you should budget for.

Richard

 

[capnsensible]

Reading some of the comments here, is anyone surprised why youngsters dont want to go sailing?

Its supposed to be a bit of fun in the sun........

 

[scrambledegg]

All your very well considered replies are much appreciated.
So much to ponder.......

 

[John the kiwi]

Through our boys teen and young adult years and as a sea scout leader i have met a lot of young people. Mostly they have been a pleasure to be with but a couple of times our boys teamed up with a real tosser. Its part of growing up and they quickly moved on.
So I would want to meet the guest in an informal setting just to rule out the tosser factor.
Making sure you have right paperwork is obviously a good idea.

 

[sailaboutvic]

When my two was in their teen , we offend took their friends along and I can't think of a time when we had any problems .
Adult can be another thing altogether

 

[langstonelayabout]

As per the earlier post, a parental permission letter is essential, not only for emergencies abroad but to get past passport control in the UK - we were asked for one when we took our daughter’s friend away with us - she was 16 and looked older, which suggests it is systematic - anti-trafficking I believe- rather than just a ‘looks fishy’ hunch by a bored immigration officer.

+1. My nephew took his daughter and stepdaughter (both sisters) abroad a few years ago and was detained during the investigation whilst they contact his ex-partner back in the UK. Fine paid, he was allowed to continue once they'd formally questioned everyone and were satisfied nothing untoward was going in but it was a day at the airport they would all prefer to forget.

And maybe the parental permission letter is something that should also be formally attested, just to make it look more formal and legally recognisable.

 

[Graham376]

Suggest you read this - Greece

 

[jordanbasset]

Suggest you read this - Greece

I thought the child was British, this would be more useful
Travel documents for minors

Also
Get permission to take a child abroad
Get permission from someone with parental responsibility
A letter from the person with parental responsibility for the child is usually enough to show you’ve got permission to take them abroad.

 

[Graham376]

I thought the child was British, this would be more useful

You need to follow the rules for the country being visited as well as your own. We've had problems in the past with minors visiting us without parents.

• A written declaration of consent signed by both parents if they are travelling with an adult other than their parents or legal guardian. This must give details of the minor's itinerary and the signatures must be validated by the competent Greek authorities.

Minors from other EU countries also need to carry a similar declaration with the parents' signatures validated by the competent authorities of their country of residence/origin or the Greek Consular authorities or the Hellenic Police.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

You need to follow the rules for the country being visited as well as your own. We've had problems in the past with minors visiting us without parents.

• A written declaration of consent signed by both parents if they are travelling with an adult other than their parents or legal guardian. This must give details of the minor's itinerary and the signatures must be validated by the competent Greek authorities.

Minors from other EU countries also need to carry a similar declaration with the parents' signatures validated by the competent authorities of their country of residence/origin or the Greek Consular authorities or the Hellenic Police.

I presume that this means a letter with notarized signatures? It may be of interest to know that banks can usually do this at low or no cost for ccustomers.

 

[RupertW]

You need to follow the rules for the country being visited as well as your own. We've had problems in the past with minors visiting us without parents.

• A written declaration of consent signed by both parents if they are travelling with an adult other than their parents or legal guardian. This must give details of the minor's itinerary and the signatures must be validated by the competent Greek authorities.

Minors from other EU countries also need to carry a similar declaration with the parents' signatures validated by the competent authorities of their country of residence/origin or the Greek Consular authorities or the Hellenic Police.

None of all this is the OPs issue. It is the couple with a son who needs to think about taking the friend abroad, not the skipper as they won’t be the responsible adult at the airport.

Skipper should just chill, but maybe mention to the couple that they need to check the mechanics of taking a child abroad.

 

[Graham376]

None of all this is the OPs issue. It is the couple with a son who needs to think about taking the friend abroad, not the skipper as they won’t be the responsible adult at the airport.
Skipper should just chill, but maybe mention to the couple that they need to check the mechanics of taking a child abroad.

If the minor makes it through passport control and they aren't then crossing a border, the skipper should be in the clear.